Follow The Sunset
by SugarCoatedAshe
Summary: "Sometimes betrayal is necessary. Sometimes treason happens for the greater good." Sakura's tale of love, war, death and the life she leads in between. (SasoSaku)


**_Hello readers! I'm back! (hopefully for a while) And I have started the long journey of editing and finishing all my incomplete works. This is a story that I have previously uploaded. But the story is a bit different now. And as you can see I have made it into a one shot. Although quite lengthily , it is now complete. I hope you enjoy~_**

 ** _-Ashe_**

* * *

 _Traitor. That is all I am. I have betrayed everything I have ever held dear, or at least what was left of it. But sometimes betrayal is necessary. Sometimes treason happens for the greater good. I consider my actions as dauntless. But at the same time, I am nothing more than a lonely coward. One that was forced to be imprisoned within the white walls of a Hospital, while the war raging beyond those shaky walls took the lives of everyone precious to me. I was the only one of my class to survive the demolishing war. The hierarchy of Konaha was in shambles. Suna was in no better shape._

 _Thinking of the desert made my heart ache with despair. I found myself missing the heat and sandy slopes of Suna much more than the forest like terrain of my own village. And that was all due to the biggest loss the war could ever possibly rip from me. The one that ended everything and assured our loss. The reason why I ran and never looked back. The Kazekage's death. I blinked back the wetness in my eyes and trudged forward with a faster pace._

 _Gaara. His presence had been the one to fill the void that Sasuke had left behind. He had returned my love for him tenfold. But it wasn't long-lived. He was ripped from me just as our relationship had progressed intimately. Somehow it made my heartache grow. He was my first true love and his death brought grief that surpassed losing my first crush to power and vengeance. No, love was not something made for this lifestyle. Ninja should not hold such deep emotion for one another. But I could never let go of love. It is my downfall and always will be. My love had killed Gaara._

* * *

Speed was of no worry to her. She had almost surpassed her former sensei, Kakashi, at acceleration. But then again she had beyond perfect chakra control. Not long after her sixteenth birthday, Tsunade had told her that she had taught the young pinkette everything she knew and that it was now her choice to do with it what she will. It was a shock to everyone when the girl had then chosen to become a hunter ninja.

It hadn't taken her very long either. She applied for the exam the next morning and passed on her first try with flying colors. The petite girl had become one of the highest ranking officers of the hunters association within a month. Tsunade had expected her to become a medic or even an Anbu, but had no idea why Sakura would want to be a hunter. Someone who assassinated on a daily basis. Her explanation was simple. She wanted to kill the traitors and bring upon the justice of high ranked criminals.

The girl muffled her bitter laugh. She was the exact thing that she had hunted. A treasonous backstabber. It made her thoughts uneasy. Just how many did she kill that were like her? Needing to flee for the greater good. It was absolutely sickening and she often felt disgusted with herself for it.

It was a little over a year after that when the war had begun. She was seventeen at the time, three months away from her eighteenth birthday. Not that she got to celebrate it. The war raged day in and day out for countless days on end. The body count steadily increasing, she was stationed in Suna and ordered to become a full fledged medic on the front lines. It was how her and Gaara had become so close. In the calm between battles, Sakura would spend every waking moment with him.

The day of his death was also the day she had given herself to him fully. They were laying on the roof of the Kazekage tower, watching the sunset. It was the only thing that seemed to hold any beauty in the midst of war. Sakura could still recall his last words. She let them pass though her lips as she slowed her pace, watching the same sun set on a different horizon.

"The rebirth of the sun will bring happiness again." She paused as she played those words in her head over and over. She repeated them every night.

"Tch, Gaara. It has been more than a year since your death and I still can't let go of those words." Her eyes became slightly downcast as the sun started to disappear. She was used to speaking her thoughts out loud, being alone for so long. Coming across a small river in the middle of the forest she was currently in, Sakura decided to rest a bit. It was all routine for her now. Collect firewood, gather food, fill her water canteen, eat, bathe (if she had the option or time to do so), then rest in front of a small fire for a few hours. Mostly it was only three to four hours a night, just enough to replenish her chakra. Tonight she decided a long much needed soaking would do her achy muscles good.

Undressing, she entered the cool stream, bringing her shed clothing with her. It was a good opportunity to wash the grime and sweat off of her clothing. Once done, she hung them on a branch near her already lit fire and ascended into the shallow river once more. The cold water reached her mid back region, just getting the tips of her long hair wet. She hadn't realized it had come to be so lengthy, but it was a refreshing change. The ex-hunter quickly descended under the water, running her fingers through her soaked hair and scrubbing at her face. This was a luxury she did not allow herself often. It put her slightly more at ease.

She left the cool water a little while after, drying herself on a single small towel she had taken from an inn, and changed into her second set of clothes. It was then that the girl scoped out her surroundings. The air was slightly humid for this time of year, a sure sign that she was entering mist territory. It was time to double her defenses. Tonight she would only allow herself two hours of rest. She was not fond of mist, and in all her mission travels going through these parts, there had been the highest rouge ninja counting. But now she was by herself. If an ambush attacked her, all she could hope for was a weak opponent or to outsmart the enemy. Rummaging through her bag, she popped a few hunger pills to steady the empty feeling inside her. They would have to suffice until morning when she could scavenge for some food. She packed her belongings and snuffed out her fire. Tonight she would have to endure the night air. A fire was too much of a risk.

She laid down on a soft patch of grass, resting her head on her small bag. Clutching her katana close to her chest, she rubbed the light pink hilt lovingly. It was a present for her nineteenth birthday from Gaara. The war was at its peak, but he had still made time to give her a present. That was when he had shared his feelings with her and was overjoyed that she reciprocated them. It was one of her fondest memories. Light sleep soon overtook her.

It couldn't of been fifteen minutes later that her body was jolted awake. There was a dull ache behind her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. Sakura was instantly aware of two things. Somehow the extinguished fire a few feet from her was re-lit and burning brightly. But that was not the thing that worried her. Standing on the other side of that fire was a dark figure. The build of the shadow suggested it was a male. She scurried to her feet with haste. But when she faced him only a second later, he was gone. Her senses were on edge as she stood there, un-moving, her hand gripping the hilt of her katana firmly now. As she surveyed the area slowly, she saw no trace of him. Sakura couldn't even sense his chakra signature. It was like he had completely vanished. She grabbed her backpack and strapped it to her back once more. It was not safe here.

As the pinkette quickly snuffed the fire once more and headed in her desired direction, she stopped abruptly. The young girl felt the vibrations before she heard the sound of running feet. That had only meant one thing, there was more than one person, and they were headed right towards her.

"Shit." She whispered as her feet flung her in the opposite direction of her pursuers. They were gaining on her quickly. It didn't make sense. If that man had been watching her sleep, why didn't he just kill her? Why was she being chased if they had an opening. The only thought she could come up with was that he wasn't with the group currently after her. But then who was he? She had to disperse her thoughts. There was no way she would be able to outrun these people. They were just too close to her.

In that moment the trees thinned dramatically and soon after Sakura found herself in a large open meadow. The moon had been bright. She hadn't realized it in the dense part of the woods where her makeshift camp had been. At least now there would be more room for a fight or possible escape. The small woman had placed herself a good distance from the tree line, turning abruptly to face her attackers. The look she sent the now approaching men was nothing short of feral. She drew her weapon and readied for an attack. It had been a new strategy of hers to appear weaker than she actually was. Using her katana, a weapon she had only recently mastered, and saving the inhuman strength to catch her opponent off guard. It would leave her with an opening to kill or in best case scenario, open an escape route. But it was her who was thrown off track when a loud voice from the tree line halted the approaching ninjas movements.

"Wait! Stand ready." Her jade eyes widened slightly at the command as her insides churned. Something was oddly familiar about this mans voice. She looked past the four masked men only a few feet from her and to the figure that hid in the shadow of a tree. He was obviously their leader. _So he wants to play coy_. That wasn't exactly the kunoichi's style. She would coax him out. Sakura looked over his men thoroughly. She could tell that they were not very strong at all. Even their stance reeked of inability. A sigh escaped her pink lips as she effortlessly took out two of the ninja within a heartbeat. As she returned to her previous spot, the remaining two gasped as their comrades hit the ground, lifeless. One of the masked men recovered quickly.

"You bitch!" Letting his emotions get the best of him, he lunged forward and attacked the pinkette. His own sword went whizzing past her head as she dodged and counterattacked with her own strike. Her blade pierced though his lung instantly. The girl kneed him in the chest near his wound and he fell backward as she slid her katana from his choking body. Sakura took pity on him. It was apparent he could not breathe. Bringing her sword down on him once more, she ended his suffering. The last man tried to attack her from behind. It took her slightly off guard and caused her to sustain a shallow cut on her cheek before she quickly turned fully around and killed him as well. That was all too easy. These men only showed level of a genin.

The ex-hunter faced the last remaining man. The one who hid in the shadows. Her dark glare was now upon her face once more as she returned her katana to its scabbard. His light chuckle reached her ears.

"If looks could kill."

"Show me your face, coward." She coaxed harshly.

"Such power behind that small voice of yours. What an admirable quality." He was toying with her now.

"Your comrades have fallen lamely and still you hide in the shadows. Don't you feel any need to avenge them?!" Laughter erupted from the faceless man.

"Comrades? No. I don't care about those men in the slightest. I should actually thank you for disposing of them for me. They were too weak. I work better alone anyway." She could tell his face held a wide grin. But boy was this man making her aggravated.

"Girl. I have a question for you. Where did your friend go? I cant even sense him at all anymore." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm traveling alone." He snorted.

"Don't give me that fake confused look. I sensed him with you right before we reached your camp." Of coarse she knew what he was talking about. It was the man she saw upon her awakening. But Sakura didn't know anything about him.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about. Now stop stalling and come fight me, you gutless swine." Her rage was growing by the second. All she wanted to do was end this quickly. This man gave her a bad feeling.

"Be careful what you wish for." In seconds he was standing in front of her, his sword plunged through her stomach. The pinkette's eyes widened in horror.

"H-how?" Her hand clutched at her stomach, trying to heal the wound as her other pulled her katana from its holder. Sakura was surprised when none of her chakra pooled from her hand to her wound. Suddenly she was hit with a wave of unease as her strength started failing her rapidly.

"Don't bother. My sword has already depleted most of your chakra. Isn't it fascinating? Just a technique I bound with my sword." The trembling her body was doing was now out of fear than shock. He pulled out his weapon from her stomach and she fell to her knees helplessly.

"Bastard!" She tried to rise to her feet but ended up falling back down on her hands and knees. She sat up to look at him.

"You're a sad sight right now, girl. Get up and fight me." She tried once more to stand, but was countered with his boot pressing against her shoulder, making her fall flat on her back.

"Don't you remember me? I'm a little sad that you don't." It was becoming increasingly hard for her to focus. She knew that her consciousness was slipping.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" All he did was push her body to the ground again as she tried once more to return to her feet.

"I guess you'll never find out. It's too late for you now." His smirk widened as he stood by her head, raising his sword inches from her face. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side facing away from him.

"Finally giving up, I see. Good." She heard fabric rustling lightly and guessed it was his arm raising to deal the finishing blow. Her eyes squinted tighter, waiting. But instead of her death, she heard metal clinking together. It wasn't until the girl heard another voice that she opened her eyes and looked skyward. There was another figure standing on the other side of her head. The place she had previously been facing. Her vision was too blurry to see what her savior looked like, so she tried to focus on his voice.

"This ends now." He held no emotion in his words, but even Sakura could tell that there was a fierceness hidden behind them.

"So you were lying. Is this that friend, girl?"

"She doesn't know of me. But that is none of your concern." The mysterious figure lashed out at her attacker, successfully wounding him. He cursed and backed away.

"Move out of my fucking way, you pest. This is between her and I." The girl laying beneath them held her shaky breath. If only she had her chakra. But darkness was already swooping in on her at an alarming pace.

"It would be in your best interest to run far away. Before I kill you. My patience is wearing thin." He struck him again, cutting deeper. The man hissed in pain and backed up further.

"I do not back down from a fight." At that point Sakura could no longer keep her eyes open. She tried focusing on the sounds around her. She could tell that the two were fighting and had moved farther from her. She hadn't known how long the fight had lasted because her conciseness had slipped multiple times. But then a figure had leaned over her. All she could make out was a rough outline of the man. He reached down and picked her up. She tensed and tried to push away.

"Are you alright?" His monotone voice held a slight hint of concern. She relaxed a little when she realized this man was not her attacker.

"I've been through worse." She gave him a pained smirk before her head fell limply onto his shoulder, no longer having the strength to keep it up.

"Who are you?" She touched his face lightly with her fingertips.

"An old friend."

* * *

Boy has it been a while since the petite girl had slept in a bed. But Sakura could not say she was at all pleased when she finally stirred from her deep slumber. Her body was beyond sore and she could barley sit up. Scratch that, she couldn't even move her torso region. So sitting was not an option. Seeing that man had erupted some foul feelings from inside her. Sakura knew that she had seen him before. But for some reason she couldn't remember where. But the pinkette had a bigger problem at hand. Not only did she not know where she was, the person who brought her here was just as much of a mystery. The girl wanted answers. Repressing the pain and dark emotions, she was finally able to open her groggy eyes. _White_. Everything was so bright to her. She had then realized it was because of the open window to her imitate left. Judging by the suns position, it was somewhere near late afternoon. Sakura then opened up her other senses fully.

 _Smell_. It was very familiar to her. Anesthetic. Was she in some sort of infirmary? _Taste_. Her mouth was beyond dry and held the familiar tang of blood. That wasn't very surprising considering her state. _Sound_. Light breathing that she was sure was not her own. _Touch_. She was well aware of the intervenes tube that was placed in her left arm. What puzzled her was the warmth that seemed to radiate off of her right hand. She turned her head to the right and slowly sat up, ignoring the bodily protests.

A hunched over figure was beside her bed. His hand grasped hers lightly and his head was facing downward. All she could see was his messy red locks, sprawled out around where he lay. _Gaara._ She quickly thought, but soon after shook her head vigorously. _Gaara is dead. My mind needs to focus on reality._ The pinkette carefully slid her hand from his own, causing the man to stir. She quickly took out the I.V. in her other arm and faced the now awakening man. His head lifted slowly and the sight of his now exposed face had almost caused the Konaha ninja to backtrack off her hospital bed. She let out a gasp as he gripped her shoulders, steadying her once more.

"What the hell is going on? Am I dead?" Sakura whispered, momentarily forgetting the aching of her body. The red headed man in front of her grinned slightly.

"I'm afraid it is the other way around, Haruno. I am very much alive." Her eyes widened and without thinking her actions through, her hands found their way to his face. She caressed, tugged, and pinched at his warm flesh. He stood still, unsure of how to react at the sudden skinship.

"Sasori?" The girl needed further conformation that she was not steadily going insane. It brought her reeling back to reality as he shook his head, confirming his name to her. She quickly pulled her hands away from the amused puppeteer as if she had been burned.

"If you're going to kill me, please do so quickly!" She all but rushed the words out of her mouth. His lips fell into a slight frown.

"Why would I kill you after going through the trouble of saving you and hauling you all the way to Amegakure to have your wounds mended?" The girls nose wrinkled in thought. She had supposed he was right. That was a lot of trouble, especially with her being wounded and unconscious.

"Well then. Am I…Am I with Akatsuki now?" He stayed silent for several moments, just staring. It slightly unnerved her. She looked over his appearance and compared it to what she had remembered from their fight. His hair was a bit more shaggy now, but it didn't look bad on him. He was a bit more full in his chest and upper arms, not nearly as lean as his puppet body had been. He was far taller as well. The slender curve of his face had also filled out, something that made him look less boyish and more manly. Sakura felt entranced with his eyes. They were the oddest shade of reddish-brown. Not that the girl with natural pink hair could talk about oddities among looks. Her gaze found its way to his lips as he opened them to speak.

"You are." Her mind wandered to the events leading up to her being here.

"Did you kill him?" He nodded and smiled at her. She had never seen such a brightly displayed emotion on an S-class criminal. And it shocked her even more because that criminal was Sasori. He took in her shock and tried to level out the emotion displayed on his face. Scratching the back of his head, he turned to the side.

"Sorry. I know this must be a lot for you to process. And it doesn't help that my damn emotions are unstable." His face heated up as a blush swept over his cheeks. Sasori looked at his hand, flexing his fingers.

"I'm not used to this human thing. All my senses...my emotions...they are heightened." He faced her once more, growing more formal as he cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling? None of us in Akatsuki are well at healing. Especially not to your extent of expertise. But Uchiha did his best on your wound, at least to dull the pain. And Kakuzu stitched you up nicely so it wouldn't reopen." It was Sakura's turn to blush lightly. She had no idea how to act around this new Sasori. The one showing so much concern for her well being.

"You've changed." His mouth hung slack lightly as he gaped at her words. Suddenly he closed it and his brow furrowed. He thought for a second, choosing his words carefully.

"You aren't the only one that the war has changed, Sakura." It was true that Akatsuki had started out as a threat. But once a common enemy had appeared, stronger than anyone could imagine, that threat was turned into an alliance. Sakura had heard about the treaty pertaining to Akatsuki and Konaha, but being in Suna for most of the war, she had only thought of it as a rumor to scare the enemy off. He watched as realization clicked over her features.

"I must report to leader that you have awakened. Please stay here, and remain in bed. You have only been unconscious for approximately eight hours and still need time to rest." She nodded. But just as he was about to leave, she called out to him.

"Sasori. Thank you for saving my life. Oh, and if you see any one who could possibly help me take these stitches out on your way to report in, could you send them my way. They are a bit uncomfortable and I should have enough chakra by now to heal this measly wound." He nodded at her in response, not saying anything further as he retreated.

There was a light knock on the door shortly after Sasori's departure. The girl sat upright from her hunched over position and cautiously told the person at the door it was okay to enter. She was surprised when Itachi Uchiha had been the one to walk in. But she quickly regained composure. These people were not her enemy anymore. He was here to help her. Nodding in her direction he walked closer to the bed, not stopping until he was beside it.

It was then that Sakura noticed he was waiting for her to expose her stomach. Being very familiar in the medical field, her instincts took over. Laying herself down, she pulled her shirt up slightly. It wasn't until then that she realized the shirt on her was not her own. It was a slightly baggy black tee, obviously masculine. She blushed at the thought of someone unknown dressing her, but quickly pushed that thought away to watch Itachi work. He was surprisingly gentile. And the speed at which he worked was astonishing. It was only when he backed away some that she realized he was completely done.

Her hands found their way to her now open stomach wound. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes in concentration. Familiar chakra spewed from her hands and flowed into the wound at a steady rate. The deep gash began closing instantly and Itachi could hardly look away from the skilled medic at work. When she was finished and her eyes fluttered open, Sakura was slightly surprised that the Uchiha was still in the room. He looked at her, sensing her stare.

"The fact alone that you are able to generate enough chakra right now is marveling."

"Um, thank you. I think?" He nodded, as if it was an appropriate answer and ghosted out of the room as if nothing had happened. _Well that's an Uchiha for you. All men of many words._ She snorted at her own sarcasm.

Another figure had replaced the dark haired man the instant he had left. She looked over to see the grinning face of Deidara. He was carrying a heaping plate of food in his hands.

"Yo."

"Uh, Hi." The girl wondered how much weirder her day could get.

"You look thin. I stole some of Kisame's food for you. " She couldn't help but laugh a little at his statement. Indeed she had grown quite thin since she had been on the run. He had brightened substantially when she laughed. These people were not like she pictured them to be. Did the war really change them to this magnitude? Or were they more like this than anyone originally thought? The blonde shoved the tray of food onto the girls lap.

"What I did for you was worse than murder, yeah. So you better appreciate it. No one takes Kisame's food. Unless they have a death wish." He winked at her.

"Which apparently you do, since you talk about it so openly in front of me." The sound that escaped the blonds mouth was not something Sakura thought a man his age could make. It was more along the lines of a thirteen year old girl watching a horror film. She then turned her attention to the blue man standing in the doorway.

"Deidara." He fumed.

"It was for a good cause, yeah. Look at her!" He had somehow weaseled his way behind Sakura, now cowering in the corner of the bed. Kisame was trying to maneuver around her to smack some sense into the blond, being very cautious as to not hit her instead. This was all very amusing to the pinkette. And she did little to stop the burst of laughter that escaped her. The other two stopped and stared at her for a minute, unmoving. She wiped at her eyes as traces of wetness began to pool there.

"You're all just a bunch of little kids, aren't you?" They both blinked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language.

"Eh, just keep the damn food." He backed up and smirked at her. She tried to sustain her giggles. But the girl had to admit, she no longer felt that dark bubbling emotion in her chest cavity. Maybe they had sensed her low spirit. Because this is just what she had needed.

Three long and horrific days she was kept in this room. Sakura was beginning to think she was more of a prisoner than anything else. In those three days she had barley seen any sign of life. Someone had brought her three meals a day, and checked her progress. This person, ninety nine percent of the time, was Itachi. It was currently why he was standing before her, unwrapping the gauze around her stomach.

"I may not be as keen on my medical skills, but your progress is highly concerning." Itachi was quite talkative once he opened up some. It was not at all what she would of expected from an Uchiha. Putting her hand over the last patch of sensitive flesh on her stomach, she healed it quickly.

"You're right. I should of regained my chakra fully by now. Healing this wound should have been a walk in the park for me. It's unnerving that it took me this long to fully heal myself." The man sat in front of her in silence for a moment.

"And you said that an ordinary sword did this?"

"It looked ordinary. From what I saw of it. But the man had said something along the lines of binding. Something he infused with his sword to make it deplete chakra. Isn't that what Kisame's sword does?"

"Not exactly. Kisame's sword absorbs his enemies chakra. But if what you are telling me is true, This man just depleted your chakra. He didn't gain anything from it?" The girl shook her head.

"I'm not sure. I did catch a glimpse of one of the symbols inscribed on the hilt though. Maybe it would help learn more about whats going on with my low chakra levels." He nodded and handed her a piece of paper and writing utensil. Sakura scribbled down the symbol and handed it back to Itachi. He stood, examining the paper in his hand.

"I will do some research." He was about to leave when her petite hand grasped his sleeve lightly. When the Uchiha looked back, he felt slightly uneasy with the saddened expression on her face.

"Do you know…why I haven't seen Sasori around lately?" Realization dawned on him.

"He is on a mission. Along with most of Akatsuki. He should be due back soon." At least that explained the lack of company recently. She let go of his sleeve and nodded, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Itachi glanced at her one last time before he retreated.

* * *

Sakura swung her legs back on her bed, hugging them to her chest tightly. She glanced out the open window just in time to see the pink hues of the sky fading slowly. Burrowing her face in her knees, she began to weep silently. Every morning she woke up feeling the same. Lonely and unhappy. The war had ended, but she was the same. Stuck in this life of loneliness and fear. She had finally remember the face of the man Sasori had killed on her behalf. It had sent her mind flying into turmoil and it seemed to be the only thing she thought about. He had been the same Ninja that had killed Gaara.

She wasn't supposed to grieve. That wasn't the ninja way. Death was so common among them. And it took losing Gaara and Naruto to truly understand that something was wrong with that logic. Sure her depression had slowed her down at times, almost causing her own death. Sakura had been on the run for well over a year. Thinking of her own survival, she hadn't really had any time to grieve. But now that she had been stationary for more than a couple hours, her emotions and thoughts were hitting her hard. She hurt on the inside. And no one had the right to tell her she couldn't show it on the outside as well.

"The rebirth of the sun will bring happiness again." Those stupid words. The ones she muttered to herself every night.

"What an odd statement." The words were barley audible, but Sakura heard them despite the contrary. Her head bolted upright instantly. The man in the doorway held up his hands at her alarm.

"I'm not here to harm you. I just wish to speak with you." She had never seen this Akatsuki member before, but something about him was familiar. A sudden sense of deja vous hit her. This was happening an awful lot lately. She suppressed the need to roll her eyes at her inner realization and focused on the man now approaching her bed.

"Are you in any type of pain?" She shook her head no slowly, his appearance lightly catching her attention. His brightly colored hair could rival Naruto's jumpsuit and the many piercings his face held actually suited him well.

"Did any of my men harm you in any way? I am just trying to figure out why our gust is crying." She repeated her previous motion as his words sank in.

"You're the leader of Akatsuki, aren't you?"

"I am. Now, are you going to tell me why you are so upset?"

"Maybe. If you tell me why I am here." He let a sigh pass through his lips as he focused his gaze out of the window.

"Right down to business. I would expect nothing less. But I'm not so sure that you would believe me if I told you." His gaze flickered to her eyes again and she gave him a weary look.

"Humor me." He nodded firmly at her.

"If you insist. I am sure that you have heard of our signed contract with Konaha, correct?" She nodded.

"I thought that was just a hoax to scare away the enemy, but seeing as I am here and you all have no intention of killing me, I think I have reevaluated my stance on that matter." He stared at her blankly for a while, not moving nor talking.

"After the Jinchuriki had become Hokage we had been offered a contract for an alliance. At first we had declined. But then our numbers had started decreasing and we had no choice but to seek strong allies. This threat was far beyond our power and others sought to attack us at our weakest." Sakura furrowed her brows.

"But what does this have to do with the reason on why I am here?"

"That pain of a Hokage had made it very clear in this contract that if the war was to turn badly and Konaha was to fall, all citizens and ninja that had survived could live peacefully here in Ame, seeing as the war had not been fought in our region and mostly took place in Suna and Konaha. You, however had disappeared. It was pure coincidence that Sasori had run into you. He had brought you back here safely because of our promise and alliance to your home village. Although I'm sure he had his own reasons as well." She looked at him in shock for a minute before his last words sunk in.

"What reasons could Sasori possibly have for bringing me back here safely?" The corner of the mans lip turned upward in an almost smirk. It was so subtle that she almost missed it.

"I'm not for certain. You should ask him that. But I do know that he was hell bent on finding you after the war. Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't coincidental at all that he ran into you." But then he turned serious once again.

"The agreement was to bring you here safely. It did not say that you had to stay. If you wish to leave Ame, I cannot stop you. But you are welcome here if you wish to stay." Sakura nodded and watched as the man retreated from the room.

"Naruto...It sounded like you knew this would happen. Is that why you sent me to Suna?..." She whispered to herself while smiling bitterly. Shaking the cloudy thoughts from her mind, she laid down and willed her body to sleep.

It was just after midnight when Sasori groggily made his way to the infirmary. He had it set in his mind on seeing Sakura the moment he had arrived from his mission. He couldn't seem to get her out of his head lately. He didn't even care if she was asleep when he arrived or not. Just in case, he lightly crept into the room, not wanting to disturb her slumber. Upon inspection, he could see that indeed she was sleeping. Her face was tilted to the side, even more beautiful in the moonlight. He shook his head. That train of thought would lead him to trouble.

His hand reached out to caress the puffy irritated flesh under her eye. She had been crying. It made a slightly painful feeling arise in his chest. Mindlessly he stroked her face, unaware of the attention it brought to the pinkette. Her eyes fluttered open and he quickly withdrew his hand. She sat up slowly, and before either of them knew what was happening, she had begun to sob uncontrollably and throw her arms around the redhead. He hadn't moved at first, but once she had slid her face into the crook of his neck and cried louder, his arms embraced her back and pulled her firmly against his chest. Yes. She was meant to be here. He could tell by the way she fit so perfectly against him. There was no denying his attraction for this woman any longer.

* * *

Being on a friendly basis with Akatsuki was easier than the girl could of imagined. Her sixth month with Akatsuki was quickly coming to an end, and within that time frame she had bonded in some small way with each of the remaining members. The only ones she had not met were Zetsu and Tobi. Apparently even an organization as strong as Akatsuki had losses during the war.

Konan was the easiest to connect with, apart from Sasori. This might have been because of the silent bond most kunoichi tend to share. After that she was surprised to find that she enjoyed the company of Itachi Uchiha. His intellectual conversations and deep intrigue of her medical capabilities were enough to consider him a pleasant companion. Deidara, Kisame, and Hidan could be a bit obnoxious at times, but they were always good for a laugh, or a sparring match when the pinkette seemed agitated.

At first Sakura was a little weary of Kakuzu, and he didn't seem too thrilled of her either. But after a long sparring match with the odd man, the medic became interested in his body. Not in a provocative sense, no. More along the lines of a medical perspective. It wasn't every day that she met someone with four extra hearts. And after annoying him for the better half of a week, he gave in. Letting her conduct some medical research on him. To say the girl was giddy was an understatement. She would have to say it was the most fun she has had in quite some time. He was baffled and also slightly amused at her intrigue in something that would appall others. After all, just seeing his body usually struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. Here this girl was smiling from ear to ear, inspecting the different chakra patterns of his different hearts openly. And just like that she had nuzzled her way onto his ally list. Not that he would ever admit it out loud but he supposed he could overlook another mouth to feed, if it was hers.

She thought of the puppeteer a lot lately. _Sasori_. It unnerved her how unafraid she had been of him. Thinking back to when she had first awaken here and how she reacted. The pinkette had grabbed and prodded at his face for crying out loud. Something she would not have done before…before the war. Had she really changed that considerably? To act so carelessly without thinking things through? She was always the intellectual one out of her comrades. The planner. The strategist. But now she would jump before thinking, if she thought at all. She wasn't mentally prepared for battle anymore. These thoughts were dragging her down lately. Clenching her fist tightly at her side, Sakura heaved a deep sigh.

"Get a grip." As the whispered words passed through her lips, she could hear the surprisingly shaky tone of her voice. She was getting herself worked up over this. Which was also unlike her. Readjusting her focus to the paper she held in her other hand, her now un-clenched fist rose to massage her temple.

"You don't look so good, yeah." Eyes widening a fraction at the new voice, she slightly jumped backward. Deidara threw his hands up in front of him innocently, face adorning a cheeky grin.

"Didn't mean to scare ya. I just need some medical assistance is all. If you're not too busy." Sakura set down the paper on the counter and ran her hand through her hair.

"What did you do now?" She addressed the blond with an annoyed but slightly amused tone.

"Sparring with Sasori, yeah. He got a nice shot in on my chest. Hurts like hell, but don't tell him that!" She motioned for him to take off his shirt and sit on the bed. He fallowed her instructions immediately. She looked at the long gash on his chest and groaned audibly.

"Honestly, how did you guys ever manage before I showed up?" He shrugged.

"Usually we just suffered through it until we ran across a medic. Or Kakuzu patched us up." Her face scrunched up.

"You have been in here at least three times this week with similar occurrences. Even though they are starting to progress in danger. I'm starting to think you are taking advantage of my free hospitality. Either that or you like my hands on your body." She smirked at him teasingly and he gasped, turning his head to the side to hide the slightly pink shade that crept onto his face.

"Idiot. I just like to fight." She pinched his cheek roughly before starting to heal his wound.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say Deidara." Somewhere during her healing of his chest, Sasori had entered the large room, leaning patiently against the counter behind the duo. A pang of jealousy shot through the mans chest. It often happened when Sakura healed the other members of Akatsuki. Mostly Deidara, knowing of the slight crush he held for the pink haired medic.

"It wouldn't hurt for you two to go a little easier on each other. One of you are bound to give me a heart attack. It's bad enough that Kisame came in here a few days ago all torn to hell because he thought it would be a good idea to spar with Kakuzu and Hidan at the same time." There was that jealous feeling again. He didn't like when she talked about them either, he had found. Deidara hopped off the table, grabbing his shirt from beside him. The act caused the red head to snap from his inner turmoil.

"Ya hear that Sasori. Take it easy on me next time!" The girl slapped the back of Deidara's head.

"Don't act innocent. I know you love to antagonize. You probably deserved it." A smug smile found its way onto Sasori's lips. Her violent acts towards the other members, however, cheered him up considerably. It was something he could hold above their heads secretly. She had never acted out like that towards him. Even if he had deserved a few of her infamous smacks. The blond growled and left the room.

"So?" He faced her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you in the infirmary? Are you injured as well or were you just worried about your teammate?" He couldn't exactly tell her that he was there to keep a jealous eye on Deidara. The thought of announcing that made him flush slightly. Fortunately, she didn't catch it.

"I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to get something to eat. You look kind of pale." It wasn't a complete lie. At further observation, she did look slightly colorless. He walked closer to her and examined her face. There were also dark bags under her eyes.

"Are you not sleeping well?" She looked away from him and cleared her throat.

"I'm fine."

"That isn't what I asked." Sakura bit her lip. It was hard to keep things from him. Not when this man had seen her break down on more than one occasion since her being here. He had never pressed further on why she was crying. He had just lent his shoulder to her, and a warm embracing hug. It was one of the reasons why she had grown so attached to him within the nearing month that she had been here. Hearing him sigh, she downcast her eyes further. It was only when his warm palm pressed against her cheek and lifted her face that she looked back at him.

"I'm just worried." She wanted to laugh at his words but held her tongue. Here stood the man that she had killed once. An S-class criminal who was deemed cold and full of murderous intent by millions, saying he was worried for her well being. As his thumb swept gently across her cheek, she had abandoned her sour thoughts. Her heart pace quickened considerably. How could he do that to her so easily? Make her turn into a blubbering mess of emotion with the lightest touch. She hadn't felt this way since… _Gaara_. It was true that her mood had increased dramatically since she had decided to stay here. Her grieving process had hit her hard but she had also found that over time she had begun to feel more at ease. She was moving on finally. Part of her was happy but there was still a fraction of her that was scared to let go.

Her hand reached his own and gently pulled it away from her face. She quietly sidestepped him and returned to the paper she had set on the counter. The wetness stinging at her eyes was becoming more of a threat. Sasori peered down at his now vacant palm. It had grown quite cold with the absence of her skin.

"I guess…I've been a little sleep deprived lately. I apologize for making you worry. Tonight I'll make sure I head into bed early." Her voice cracked slightly and she held her breath, hoping that he didn't catch it. Wishful thinking. On impulse his arms snaked around her from behind. Pressing her back to his chest, he hugged her firmly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." She shook her head feverishly, gripping his arms shakily.

"You didn't make me cry…I was just…remembering something." He hugged her tighter and whispered just above her ear.

"I know I have never dug into your past. It pains me to know that it torments you so much. And I want you to be able to talk to me about it. So it doesn't have to be just your burden anymore." He paused for a moment before carefully continuing.

"I want to be with you, Sakura."

"Sasori…" She was at a loss for words. He had made it blatantly obvious very quickly that he had feelings for her. She didn't understand why, and even more so, didn't even think he knew how up front he was being about them. But Sakura didn't know what to do. She did have feelings for him as well. But she didn't want to forget Gaara. She was scared. The girl turned in Sasori's arms to face him, cupping his cheeks lightly before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly back.

"I want to tell you. I just need to figure some things out first." Sasori stroked her hair soothingly. After the words he had spoken, he was sure that Sakura now knew of his feelings towards her. He was just glad that she didn't reject him outright.

"I'll wait forever if I have to."

* * *

Sakura had been avoiding the red headed man for a while now. It had been close to a week since she had started dodging and hiding from him. After his confession she didn't know what to do. She had fallen for him as well but didn't know how to go about all of this. Her antics had become quite exhausting and she didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. It was getting even harder now that he knew that she was avoiding him on purpose. Now not only did she have to dodge him but also his questions. Denying his accusations outright could only go so far when every time he would turn down the same all as her, she would duck into the first room she came across. It had gotten to the point where "I'm not avoiding you." wasn't cutting it anymore. So Sasori had decided to take action. This had to end. He knew that he had said he would wait forever for her. But he hadn't speculated that forever would be _this goddamn long._ It was agonizing to wait. He hated it. And it shocked him that he even held out this long.

"Deidara, spar with me." He hadn't waited for his teammate to reply, instead dragging him by the collar to their outside training grounds. The man looked beyond annoyed but hadn't refused him verbally. So they began to fight. About half way in the blond had noticed something quite odd about their match. For starters, the puppeteer seemed oddly distracted. Another thing was how one sided this fight had become. For someone who suggested that they fight in the first place, it was seeming that his heart wasn't even in the match at all. He would dodge the mans blows just a little too late and had been knocked down on several dozen times. But Sasori would insist they continue and throw insults at his member in an effort to coax him into landing another heavy blow. By the time they were done, Sasori could barley stand on his own. Deidara had decided that was enough and had left before his friend could get him all worked up again. The redhead grinned and, with much effort, made his way to the infirmary.

Sakura took one look at him and gasped before helping him to lay down on the cot. He was covered in cuts and bruises from head to toe and was sure that more than a handful of his bones were broken or fractured.

"What happened?!" He took slight pleasure in the concern she was sowing for him. Somewhere deep inside him knew that these circumstances were wrong and fin not a little twisted. But he was so tired. Tired of her ignoring him. It felt like she was trying to erase his existence along with the confession he had told her a few weeks ago. And if this was the only way he could get her to talk to him, then so be it. She made quick work of healing him and did not stop until she was one hundred percent sure all the damage had been fixed and he was in no more pain. Sasori had still not told her what had happened and he would be damned to think that he would be leaving this room unless she got some answers.

"Sasori, what happened? She repeated as the man now sat upward and faced her. He shrugged his shoulders and stood. Afraid that he might leave, she ripped his arms and sat him back down, standing directly in front of him so he couldn't get off the cot unless he crawled around her.

"I was sparring with Deidara." She looked down at him in disbelief.

"Your matches with Deidara never get this bad. Tell me the truth."

"I was distracted while sparring with Deidara." This time she sighed as a flash of anger crossed her features.

"What could have possibly made you so distracted to take a beating that severe?"

"You."

"W-what?"

"I said, you." She backed up a few feet and he took the opportunity and stood, closing the distance between them again.

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking that if I got hurt enough, then maybe you wouldn't avoid me. That I could actually be in your company for more than five minutes without you running away. That I would be able to _touch you_ -" As he spoke his hand had trialed up her arms, gliding up her neck ever so gently before resting on her cheek.

"And feel you close to me." His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Sasori-"

"I love you." He cut her off. He didn't want to hear her protest.

"I can't take it anymore. I will not just sit around and love you silently any longer. I need to be with you. It's _killing_ me to wait for you while you hide from me. I need to know how you feel." His chest ached at the thought of her rejecting him. But he needed to know how she felt about him. It was quiet for some time but then she spoke softly.

"I love you too." Her words made the ache in his chest subside as it turned into something much stronger and more pleasant. But he still needed to clear up some things.

"Then why? Why have you been avoiding me for so long?" And just like that she had blurted out everything. About Gaara and how scared she was of losing someone she cared about again. When she was done, he had pulled her even closer, whispering soothing words.

"I promise that nothing is going to happen to me. Not anytime soon. I wont leave you." Opening up to him had lifted a huge weight off of her. And suddenly all she was left with was the guilt of avoiding him in fear of telling him all this sooner. Sensing her guilt, he stroked her hair in a soothing manor before pulling back and lifting her chin to face him.

"No more hiding how you feel. I want to be someone you can tell everything to and in turn you can be my rock as well."

"I promise." He smiled down at her before capturing her lips with his own. Their kiss was light and sweet and as they broke apart the glistening of the suns first rays flicked through the infirmary window.

 _After following so many sunsets, the rebirth of the sun has finally brought me happiness._

END


End file.
